This invention relates to footwear. In particular, this invention relates to a fitting system for footwear and footwear inserts, which facilitates proper fitting thereof.
Footwear is difficult to fit, especially in growing children. Conventionally footwear is fitted to a person""s foot by measuring the foot, trying on the closest standard size of footwear, and judging by feel whether the footwear is the correct size. Children often do not have the ability to make this judgment, and an accompanying adult can only feel the position of the foot from the exterior of the footwear, which at best is an inaccurate method of judging fit. Often shortly after a footwear purchase the footwear turns out to be uncomfortable, so the purchaser returns it. As a result, footwear retailers have to either hire experienced fitting staff or handle many product returns, both of which are costly and administratively burdensome.
Systems using removable inserts have been developed to maximize the life of footwear, allowing a pair of footwear to accommodate growing feet by exchanging inserts of graduating sizes. An example of such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,311 issued Jul. 25, 2000 to McNamara, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, the problems that make new footwear difficult to fit properly, make it equally difficult to determine when to change to the next size of insert.
Footwear inserts are widely available for other purposes, including cushioning, odor reduction, and therapeutic purposes. Many of these inserts are made in a single large size, with printed guide lines to be followed by a user for the purpose of cutting the insert to fit the user""s foot. However, feet come in so many shapes and sizes that rarely do these xe2x80x98standardxe2x80x99 guide lines closely follow the actual contours of a particular individual""s foot.
There is accordingly a need for an effective system for fitting footwear, especially suitable for use by parents, caregivers and other inexperienced persons, which is easy to use and accurate. There is also a need for an effective system for fitting footwear inserts to more closely approximate the actual contours of the particular individual""s foot.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a system and method for fitting footwear and footwear inserts, which is easy to use and provides an accurate indication of foot size and shape.
The invention accomplishes this by providing a removable insert which measures the foot directly by thermal imaging. The insert is provided with a thermally sensitive layer, for example a thermochromic material, that thus reacts to heat transferred from the portions of the foot in contact with the insert, temporarily changing color. The insert retains an image of the footprint for a short interval after contact with the foot, and can then be removed from the footwear to examine the position and size of the foot relative to the footwear insole (and thus relative to the footwear) when the footwear is actually worn.
In the case of inserts which are purchased separately for cushioning, odor-reduction etc., the footprint image can be used as a guide to cut the footwear insert to follow the shape of an individual""s foot.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention the thermally sensitive layer is formed from a thermochromic material having a color transition interval within the range between room temperature and body temperature. In one preferred embodiment in which the thermochromic material is colored and becomes clear when warmed, the thermally sensitive layer is applied to a light-colored supporting layer to improve the visual contrast between the heated and cooler portions of the insert.
The present invention thus provides A footwear fitting system comprising a removable insert, the insert comprising at least one supporting layer, and a thermally sensitive layer applied to a top surface of the supporting layer, whereby when in contact with a user""s foot the thermally sensitive layer changes color to produce an image of the user""s footprint.
The present invention further provides a method of fitting footwear, comprising the steps of: a. inserting over an insole of the footwear, a removable insert comprising a thermally sensitive layer applied to a top surface of at least one supporting layer, b. inserting a foot into the footwear, whereby when in contact with the foot the thermally sensitive layer changes color to produce an image of the user""s footprint, and c. removing the insert from the footwear.
The present invention further provides a method of fitting a footwear insert comprising a thermally sensitive layer applied to a top surface of at least one supporting layer, comprising the steps of: a. applying a foot to the insert, whereby when in contact with the foot the thermally sensitive layer changes color to produce an image of a footprint, and b. cutting the insert according to the footprint image.